Oneshot at Kindness
by Ironic-Sarcasm
Summary: This is a DrabbleOneshot story type thing. Lots of EdWin and Brotherly love fluff. Expect lots of fluff First 5 chaps are out of order from when I wrote them. Discontinued
1. Far Away

**Okay, about this system. I'll make oneshots whenever I feel inspired. This isn't like my other stories. This isn't a series. I don't get inspired easily. **

**I had this idea a long time ago, but I didn't bother writing it. ****Yeah, this is pretty much a songfic. I don't own FMA or Nickelback's _Far Away_. This is my second songfic. Don't kill me.**

Ed sighed as he fiddled jadedly with a pencil. He and Alphonse shared the small, twin bed, room. It had a couch, a squeaky fan, an armchair, and a coffee table. Ed laid on the ugly, green couch and his brother sat, reading a book on the matching armchair. The coffee table was sprawled with casual papers. To Ed, they weren't important. To his job, they meant everything.

Al looked up from his book and bowed his helmet head in a stern way. "Brother, you really should fill out that paper work."

"That's Colonel Bastard's job, not mine."

"Ed!" Al scolded.

"Wha-a-at?" Ed let out a groan of annoyance.

"Just do it or you'll loose your job."

"Fine," Ed grumbled.

The only problem was it took a half hour to get it done. For Edward Elric, that was an eternity. To Alphonse Elric, it was a waste of moaning and groaning and whining.

Ed went back to Roy Mustang's office. He set the paperwork on the desk. "Done." He said dully.

"Good, you need to do one more thing." Mustang said as he linked his fingers under his chin.

"What is it now?!" Ed shouted. Jean and Cain gave each other a look that said 'Ed was gonna get it.' But 'it' didn't come.

Roy pulled out a single, blue piece of paper. "This is a requirement."

Ed scanned it over and gave Mustang a death glare.

"No way in HELL—"

"You don't have a choice. Führer Bradley insisted on it." Mustang said with a hint of bitterness.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "You agree with me?"

"Oh, I can go, but it would be EXTREMELY boring. I've got plenty of better ways to spend my time." Mustang said matter-of-factly.

Hawkeye rolled her eyes.

* * *

_**COME ONE, COME ALL  
**__**TO THE STATE ALCHEMIST SUMMER BALL**_

_EVERY STATE ALCHEMIST IS TO REPORT WITH A DATE TO THIS FANTASTIC SUMMER BALL. _

_MALE OR FEMALE IS REQUIRED TO BRING A GUEST (MUST BE A DATE, NOT A FAMILY MEMBER). _

_FREE REFRESHMENTS_

_DANCING_

_LIVE BANDS!!_

* * *

Ed reread this paper more then a dozen times. Who could he possibly bring to this god damn ball? Roze? No… Liore was going to war with Central soon, he could tell. Paninya? Nah, too far away. Winry? Did she even like stuff like this?

Winry was his best bet so far. She was his childhood friend as well as his mechanic. He owed her this much (even if he did pay a fortune for the automail).

"Al, I'm going to make a phone call." Edward said as he sat up slowly.

"Okay, Brother." Al acknowledged, not looking up from his book.

Ed walked into the hall and dialed Winry's number. It rung a few times before there was an answer.

"_Hello, Rockbell Automail, Pinako Rockbell speaking."_

"Hey, Granny, it's Ed. Can I talk to Winry?"

"_You didn't break your automail again, did you?"_

"No! Nothing like that!"

"_Okay,"_ It was obvious she wasn't convinced. But, nonetheless, Ed heard her calling for Winry in the background.

"_Hello?"_ Her voice sounded on the phone. Strangely, to Ed, it sounded extremely good to hear her voice again… like he missed it after years of being apart.

"H-Hey Win! What's up?"

"_Not much Ed." _There was a pause. _"Did you break your automail again?"_

"Why does everybody keep asking me that?" Ed sighed in irritation.

"_Because! The only time you ever call is if you need more automail!" _Winry said frustration apparent in her voice.

"Well, I don't need automail right now! Everything is just fine!" Ed growled.

"_Then why did you call?!"_ She fumed.

"Maybe I just shouldn't have called in the first place! I'll just go to that damn ball alone!" Ed raged. "Or I'll go with Schezka or something!"

There was a moment of angry silence between them.

"_Ed, what are you talking about?"_ Winry asked.

"I called to ask you to this stupid ball thing this weekend. It's kinda mandatory. And I need to bring a date." He explained calmly, though steam still streamed out of his ears.

She was quiet for a moment; Ed almost thought she hung up. _"Why'd you ask _me_?"_

Ed was stunned. "Because you're my best friend. I don't know any other girls that would go or anything, and well… you just stick out in my mind. That's all."

Another moment of stillness, only this time it was awkward.

"_Ed, I'd love to go with you."_ Winry said, finally breaking the silence like a mirror.

Ed felt something strange in his chest. Did his heart just skip a beat? No, he must have eaten something weird for lunch.

"Okay thanks." Ed said. "So, when will you be here?"

"_I'll pack tonight and leave first thing in the morning."_

"I'll be waiting when you arrive."

"_Thank you. Bye Shrimp!" _There was a click and a dial tone.

Ed snarled and slammed the phone down.

Damn that girl! Maybe he'd send Armstrong to pick her up instead. That would get her!

* * *

A few days later, Ed ran a hand through his hair. Why did he bother coming here? He didn't know. Al asked if Ed wanted him to go along, but Ed claimed he'd be fine getting Winry alone.

He milled to the front and waited with annoyed, slanted eyes. He crossed his arms and waited for the train doors to open.

They finally did. He looked into a window and thought he saw the familiar blonde hair, but it turned out to be a lady that was MUCH older than Winry.

He looked down the line of people pushing their way through other people trying to get to friends and loved ones. Edward was about to just give up looking for Winry when he suddenly heard a voice call to him.

"ED!"

He turned just in time to have arms thrown around his neck and a whirl of long blonde hair followed.

"Winry! Can't… breathe!" he managed to choke.

"Oh, sorry!" She let go and giggled. "I just thought you would send someone else to come get me."

"Hey," he shrugged and looked down at the suitcase at her feet. "I said I was going to get you, didn't I?"

"Yes you did." Winry said, obviously impressed. She took his hand. Ed flushed. Why the hell was she holding his hand?

She picked his right hand to eye level and pulled the gloved off.

Now he knew why. She wanted to make sure that Ed didn't break his automail.

She rolled up the sleeve of the red trench coat and examined as much of the arm as she could form their position. Ed's eyes went back into narrow annoyance. "Winry, can't you do this back in the room?"

He looked around casually as people stared at them. An over obsessive girl examining every inch of a hansom boy's automail. A very strange sight.

Winry sighed in agitation. "Fine." She let go of his hand and gave him back his glove. "I'm surprised you actually lived up to your word on more then one thing." She said as they started walking away from the station.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ed snapped.

"You know what it means! You never keep your promises, just like when we were little kids!" Winry said calmly.

"Yeah, whatever." Ed scratched the back of his head. What the hell was she going on about? He couldn't understand what she was trying to say. Just like girls to do that.

She kept blabbing and he tuned her out. It was probably nonsense anyway. He agreed whenever a question popped up, but other then that, he was in his own world.

Before he knew it, they were outside the military apartment building. They stopped at the doors.

"Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah."

She suddenly got in his face. "Then answer the question I just asked you."

His face flushed at the closeness. "Huh?"

"If you heard me, you would have been able to answer it." Winry scowled.

"S-Sorry!" he stuttered. What the hell was wrong with him? Winry was so close… he could feel his heart racing… he just wanted to touch her face and—WHOAH! Hold on there, Eddie-boy! What the hell was he thinking?! Kissing Winry?! His best friend? Nonetheless a girl he considered a SISTER?!

"I said: When is that ball thing you were talking about?" she repeated the unheard question.

"S-Saturday." He replied.

She smiled at him. There was no reason behind he that was evident, but she smiled genuinely at him.

* * *

Ed tried to loop his maroon tie around in a full length mirror. He was never good with dress clothes. He bit his lip and furrowed his brow. The white suit he wore looked wrinkled and the tie was very hard to get on.

In the end, Ed ended up ripping it off and throwing it on the floor. He unbuttoned the top three buttons on his white shirt. He grumbled and sat on the couch, folding his arms like a toddler having a hissy fit.

Ed heard a door open and he glanced to the bathroom to see Winry coming out in nothing but a towel. He bit his lip hard and blushed furiously. The water clung to her skin and hair as she walked over to her suitcase and opened it, kneeling down and rummaging through it. He never took her eyes off the girl while she did so.

She skin shone with glistening water. She ran a hand through her hair, shaking it a little. It was obvious she brushed the soft locks. Her skin was a slightly rosy color from the warm shower.

Winry pulled out some black cloth that he wasn't familiar with and she glanced at him.

"Ed, why aren't you ready yet?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Uh-um…. My tie… won't…." he tried to speak, but his voice was caught in his throat.

Winry sighed and mumbled something about "men and their ties." She walked over and bent down to pick up the tie, holding the towel around her chest. Ed got a glimpse of her cleavage and flushed even harder, if possible.

Winry knelt in front of Ed and buttoned his shirt before she slipped the tie over his head and started looping it around like a professional. Ed tried to his the blush on his features, but he could feel his face beat red. Ed could hear his ears pounding with embarrassment as he looked down at Winry tying his tie. She was wearing nothing but a towel. A measly little towel. How much did that cover? Not much, obviously. And it was starting to slip as she moved. He made himself look away as Winry let go and pulled the towel back up. From the corner of his eye, he could see Winry blushing as well.

"Did you see anything?" she asked as she tightened his tie.

He shook his head.

"Good." Winry stood up, grabbed the cloth and underwear, and departed into the bathroom.

A half hour later, Winry stepped out with an elegant black dress. It flared at the shoulders and demonstrated her collar and top of her chest. The velvet material flowed down to her feet. A silky bow in the back held a satin veil in the back of the dress. The edge of the veil had white sequins dotting the bottom. Her hair was down and cascaded below the bow. In her hair was a real, dark violet flower with sequin strings flowing with her hair.

She bit her lip as she looked at him. "How do I look?" she asked.

He just gazed at her, completely stunned. "You look…."

She frowned. "I look horrible, don't I?"

"No way!" He stood up. "You look… so great!"

She smiled evenly, a light blush crossing her cheeks. "I have something for you, Ed."

"Y-You do?" He stuttered.

"Mmhmm," she nodded. She walked over to her suitcase and opened it. She took out a plastic box with a maroon flower in it, just like the one in her hair. She took it out of the box and walked over to Ed. She pinned it to his blazer. After she did this, she pulled it straight and brushed off his shoulders.

"Wow, Ed, you look like a totally different person!" she laughed.

Ed looked into the mirror. He did. His hair was in a neat braid, his clothes were far from dark, a healthy flush shone in his cheeks, and he looked neat. He wasn't a slob like he usually was.

"Ed, you've been so nice to me this week. We barely fought." Winry said, looking down at her still bare feet. "I'm happy we're getting along better."

"I think the safe automail saved me," said Ed.

"You bet it did!" She put her hands on her hips. "If you did anything, and I mean _anything_ to it that I didn't like, you would be hurting right now."

Ed looked away sleazily, scratching his chin. "Eh, so Winry, where'd Al go?"

The boy just noticed his brother's disappearance. Al hadn't been in the room since before he took a shower.

"He went outside to read." Winry said as she slipped on some black strap shoes. "He said he won't be back for a while. He also said 'have fun'."

"Oh, we'll have a blast." Edward said with bitter sarcasm.

* * *

Ed and Winry sat next to each other at the ball. It was decorated with purple, pink, and blue ribbons. It was actually some sort of celebration. Ed tuned out as Führer King Bradley droned on about some sort of State Alchemist legacy on a stage. Ed pulled at a loose string on his white gloves.

"…And now, let the festivities begin!" Bradley shouted. Out of a door, waiters piled out with trays of food and drinks.

A waiter placed a plate of food in front of Ed and Winry along with glasses of champagne. Ed looked at the steak, mashed potatoes, and green beans with a dull look before looking at Winry.

"I _really_ don't want to be here." He said in a monotone.

"Well, I think it's nice!" She said brightly. "I mean, the Führer talked a little long and it was a little boring, but this dinner seems nice and the decorations are beautiful!"

Ed looked across the table for the first time to see who he shared a table with. There was an older man with pepper-colored hair that brought his wife and… Mustang. But, the most surprising part about him was, not that he was at the same table, but his date. Riza Hawkeye.

Ed blinked as he stared at the man.

"Ed, it's not polite to stare." Riza said as she began to cut her steak.

He cleared his throat, "R-Right." Ed reached for his glass of champagne. Winry slapped his hand.

"Edward!"

"Sorry." He grumbled. Roy chuckled and took an elegant sip of his drink.

"Want to grow up, now, don't you Fullmetal?" Roy asked.

"Shut up, you." Ed growled.

"Well, alchohol wont help you grow." Roy sauntered. "But milk will."

"Give the kid a break, his folks probably forgot to mention to give the boy and his date something non-alchoholic to drink." The strange man said.

"What are you saying?! I can't be in the military?!" Ed got to his feet. The room seemed to quiet a little. Winry looked around and pulled him back to his seat.

"Ed, calm down, please!"

The man only laughed. "You can't be a State Alchemist! How old are you, like fourteen?"

"I'm sixteen you ass!" Ed corrected oh-so politely. "And I've been in the military since I was twelve!"

The man laughed again, a big booming laugh. "So, what's you're nickname then?"

"_Fullmetal."_

The man put his fork and knife down. "I obviously stand corrected."

"You bet you have!"

"Ed, stop making a scene." Winry urged.

"Yes, Elric. Would you please calm down." Hawkeye spoke. "It's not good to have people staring at you."

Ed would have steam coming out of his ears if that was possible.

During the meal, Winry talked with Riza and Roy and the other alchemist spoke to each other. Ed kept quiet, not uttering a word unless spoken to.

After dessert was brought out and eaten, people started to get up and dance to the music and live band. Some band Ed never heard of, _Backnickel_ or something.

Ed noticed some french windows on the far side of the hall and got up. "I need some air." He said to Winry. Winry sighed.

"I'll go with you."

They got up and Ed led her through the crowded and opened the windows onto a balcony. They went through and Ed walked over to the railing overlooking the city of Central. He leaned with his back against the city.

"Wow…" Winry leaned over the edge, looking at the sparkling city. "It's so beautiful!"

Ed looked over at her, a serine smile played on his lips. "Sure is."

They stood there for a while, just talking. About the city, about their childhood, about what they've missed.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?" Ed asked.

"No," she giggled. "I'm waiting for this boy to ask me though."

"Do I know him?"

"_Maybe…."_ She smirked slyly, and wiggled her toosh a little.

"Is it Al?"

"_No…"_

"Is it Mustang?"

"What?!"

"Is it?"

"No!"

"Who is it?!"

"I'm not telling you!" Winry giggled again. "So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"If I did, she'd be here instead of you." Ed looked out into the city.

"Hmm…." Winry crossed her arms. There was silence between them. "Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you like anyone right now?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, a tad confused.

"You know what I mean. Do you like any girl right now? Anyone you want to ask out?" She clearified.

He thought for a moment. "I think so… my feelings for her are confusing right now."

She looked at him. "How so?"

He looked at her. "Well, lately, I can't stop thinking about her. I've been thinking she's beautiful, perfect, and strong. She can't do anything wrong, even if we disagree. But, we fight a lot. She's not afraid to be open with me. Everytime she walks into the room, I feel strange. But, I think of her as a sister, so it also bothers me a little. But it bothers me less and less the more I talk to her or look at her."

"Sounds like you like her a lot." Winry said. Ed could have sworn he heard a hint of sorrow in her voice.

"Winry, do you want to dance?"

She turned to him and smiled. "I'd love to."

Ed took her by the hand, feeling his heart jump. He grinned widely at her and led her inside while a slow song was playing. Before they even got on the floor, the song ended.

Ed took her hand as the next song started. Winry put her other hand on his shoulder. Ed wrapped an arm around her waist.

_This time, This place  
Misused, Mistakes  
Too long, Too late  
Who was I to make you wait  
Just one chance  
Just one breath  
Just in case there's just one left  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

"You know, Ed, you can learn from this song." Winry pointed out as they twirled.

"What's it about? I haven't been listening to the lyrics." Ed said. Winry sighed.

"Just listen."

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

Ed blushed. "What, you want me to confess my love for you?" He asked.

She giggled. "I don't know. Depends if you love me or not."

_On my knees, I'll ask  
Last chance for one last dance  
'Cause with you, I'd withstand  
All of hell to hold your hand  
I'd give it all  
I'd give for us  
Give anything but I won't give up  
'Cause you know,  
you know, you know_

Ed's eyes widened. "What the hell? Are they stalking me or something?"

"Ed, it's just a song!" Winry laughed. "Why do you think they'd be stalking a shrimp like you, anyway?"

Ed flushed. "I'm not a shrimp!" He grumbled. "I grew."

Winry blinked as she noticed he was right. Even with heals, the blonde boy was still taller then her by at least three inches. "You… had a growth spurt."

_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

_So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
So far away  
Been far away for far too long  
But you know, you know, you know_

Ed scowled. "These people say 'far away' to freakin' much. If they say it one more time, I'm going to 'far away' their asses."

"Ed, chill, it's only a song." Winry sighed as she laid her head on his chest. Ed laid his head on top of hers as they swayed to the music.

_I wanted  
I wanted you to stay  
'Cause I needed  
I need to hear you say  
That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I forgive you  
For being away for far too long  
So keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore  
Believe it  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go  
Keep breathing  
Hold on to me and, never let me go_

"Ed, who exactly was that girl you were talking about?" Winry asked, looking up into his golden eyes with her cerulean ones.

"Who was that boy you were talking about?" Ed asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Say it on three?" Winry suggested.

Ed remembered from their childhood. Whenever they both had to tell secrets, they made a system. Instead if rock-paper-scissors they would say their secret at the same time.

"Right." Ed agreed.

"One-" Winry said.

"Two-" Edward said.

"Three!" the said at the same time. They took a deep breath.

"You."

Ed felt time stop. They stood on the dance floor, not even swaying to the music anymore. They just looked into each others eyes, as if they had been spoken to in another language.

Ed leaned down and touched her lips softly. His heart was pounding in his throat. Winry's arms wrapped around his neck and his held her closer.

Finally… he knew how he felt about the girl from his childhood. He was absolutely head over heals in love with her.

They broke apart and looked into each other's eyes again.

"Wow…" Winry breathed.

"Yeah…" Ed gasped.

Winry placed her head on his chest. They began swaying to the next song so they wouldn't look like total idiots on the dance floor.

"I love you Winry Rockbell."

"I love you Edward Elric."

* * *

Ed and Al stood outside the window of the soon-to-departing train.

"You boys better come home soon!" Winry said.

"We'll come by in a few weeks, I promise." Ed confirmed.

"You better!"

"Don't worry, Winry." Al said, "Ed's been getting better with promises. Just like the milk thing."

"I still hate the stuff." Ed stuck out his tongue bitterly.

"Come here you," Winry leaned over the edge. Ed stood on her toes and kissed her.

Al snickered. Ever since he caught the two making-out in their room, he'd been picking on them.

"**All aboard!" **the conductor rang out.

The boys waved as she moved away. Winry shouted something, but it was unheard over the chugging of the train.

"Think she'll be okay?" Al asked as the train disappeared.

"Yeah…."

During the ball, Ed noticed Bradley watching him closely with Winry. He knew Bradley was a homunculus, but wasn't sure if he'd do anything.

He was going back to Dublith soon. Izumi said she found something that might help Ed.

Edward watched the train leave, wondering if he _would_ see Winry again as soon as he said he would.

He hoped he would. Next time he saw her, he had a present for her. He shoved his hand into his pocket and fingered the ring he had… waiting in his pocket for it to be worn.

_I really do love her._


	2. Ed's Apology

Ed looked over at his science partner, Alfonse. He looked so much like his brother. Edward sighed as he gazed down at the schematics for their latest rocket.

"How long will it take to build this one?" Ed asked.  
"About a month or so." Alfonse responded.

The blonde haired, golden-eyed teen had missed his brother so much. But, he was unable to see his brother for they were worlds apart. Alphonse, was Alfonse's counterpart; or so it seemed. He was young, caring, and loved his older brother unconditionally.

Edward, then, thought of his military co-workers, Mustang, Hawkeye, Breda, Falmen, Hughes, Fury, and more. He wondered if Roy Mustang lived through the fight with King Bradley, who turned out to be a homunculus, Pride. Ed wandered how Gracia and Elysia were doing without Maes Hughes. He wondered if, from the possibility that Mustang survived, that Riza Hawkeye and Roy had gotten together. Ed always thought they looked as if they thought of each other as more then co-workers. He smiled absentmindedly at the thought.

The smile faded from his face as he thought about his best friend, Winry. He thought about how she might be doing, who she knows, if she's with someone, or still alone, waiting for him. He wondered if she thought about him all the time, like she said she did. She would always say she worried for him and Al, so it made him wonder if she worried for them all the time. Over the period of two years, Ed had came to realize he liked Winry as more then a friend, but knew he's never be able to tell her that.

Ed wondered if Al was out there, looking for him. He wondered what he would look like as he got older, although, he knew he didn't have to. He wondered if Al was thinking about him at the very moment. He wondered where Al was, what he was doing, and if he came back alright.

As Edward wondered these thoughts, he was subconsciously was writing on a blank sheet of paper next to the plans:

Dear My Friends and the Military,

I'm sorry that I didn't tell anyone where I was  
I'm sorry that I disappeared away  
I'm sorry that I hurt you  
I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you what I was feeling  
I'm sorry that I couldn't be there when you might need me  
I'm sorry that I won't be here right now  
I'm sorry that I didn't make you smile for once when you're sad  
I'm sorry that I did all these things

I will always be there for you, in spirit, soul, and heart. I will be always cheering you on... I will always be there... I will and forever more...

Always Love,  
Edward Elric, Fullmetal Alchemist

Ed tore his mind from his thoughts, knowing he was supposed to be working. Every now and then, he would go into one of these dazes, thinking about his friends and family. He sighed, shook his head, and looked back down at the papers. He noticed his hand had written something without his permission.

He picked it up and read the letter. He had written the words on his mind that were never spoken or even printed. He felt hot breath over his shoulder and knew Alfonse was reading the paper in his hand.

"Seriously Edward, I do think you should write a book about your stories!" he said as he took the paper from Ed's hand. "Your witting is very good, and the stories are amazing!"  
"Yeah…" Ed replied, hanging his head, knowing Alfonse never would believe any of the experiences he told him about his world. He took the paper back, "But I'm not the kind of guy to do that kind of stuff. I'm more into science."  
"I know." Alfonse rolled his eyes.

Ed reread it and pocketed it with a smile.

A few hours later, they left the factory together and headed back to their apartment. Ed took the paper from his pocket intending on reading it again, just as a particularly strong gust of wind came billowing by, stealing the paper from his hand and guiding it into the distance.


	3. Promises

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, or any of the characters (Winry or Ed specifically)

* * *

Edward Elric lay down in his bed. Winry suggested that he sleep as she kept working on his vital upgrade for his automail. It was four in the morning and the both of them were exhausted. Winry started the upgrade around 8:30 earlier that night.

Winry sat in a chair to his right, holding the sensitive machinery with her left, while she tightened a loose bolt with her left. She wiped the sweat off her brow and looked at Edward's face. He was half asleep. She giggled at how peaceful he looked when he was out of it.

"What?" he asked in a tired voice, looking at the ceiling.

"It's nothing." Winry said and continued her work. She looked up at him fifteen minutes later and saw Ed was in a deep sleep.

Winry sighed and tightened the last screw and she was finally finished. Winry rubbed her eyes sleepily and stood up. Her legs wobbled from lack of sleep. She stretched her whole body and still had trouble standing. Winry had pulled an all-nighter the night before when another customer before Ed arrived around twelve that day. Pinako suggested that she made the upgrade, but Winry refused. She felt it was her duty to fix Ed's automail so her grandmother allowed her to.

Winry sat on Edward's bed and lay down next to him. She felt sleep over coming her but she fought it. Winry suddenly felt a cold arm wrap around her and looked up to see Edward was still sleeping.

"Winry…" he muttered in his sleep.

"Ed?" she asked sleepily. She moved closer to him and hovered above his face. She had only been this close to him once. They were children and they were playing Truth or Dare. Alphonse had dared Ed to kiss Winry; on the cheek.

Winry knew her feelings for the boy she was towering over, but would _never_ tell him. She knew for a fact he didn't like her the same way she loved him. Winry only wanted to kiss him once… at least once. What she wanted more was to have him. Winry wanted a lot of things; she knew she could never have them.

She wanted her parents to be alive. She wanted to be the best automail mechanic in the world. She knew she was being selfish by wanting these things.

She wanted Edward and Alphonse to stay home. She wanted Ed to return her feelings. She wanted to marry him. She even had a life planed with him. She knew none of this would be possible.

Winry sighed and laid her head on his chest. She felt a wave of tears, like she felt every night before she slept. The thing that bugged her as she slept the most was the thought she would never see Ed and Al again when they left.

Edward opened his eyes from a dreamless sleep. He looked down to his chest to see a crying Winry.

"What's wrong Win?" He asked putting his hands on her head and back.

She looked up surprised to see him awake. She looked away blushing and muttered "nothing…."

"Winry, come on you can tell me." Edward said sitting up and holding her in his arms gently.

"It's just…. I don't want you to go away again…." She said softly. "Every time you leave, I'm afraid you or Al won't come back again."

He looked at her with care. "Winry…. It's not like I want to leave you…. I just… you know… have to. I have to return Al to his body and make things right again."

"I know…." She sniffed. Winry looked up at Ed and he wiped away one of her tears.

"Winry… you have no idea how much I wish I could stay here with you and Auntie Pinako. But, at the same time, I want Al to return to normal." Ed confessed. "I promise, when I return him back to normal, I'll make it all up to you."

Winry put a hand on his cheek. "Ed, you're pushing yourself to make to many promises. You need to cut down on a few of them. It'll stress you out." Ed only laughed at that.

"Remember when we were kids and I promised I'd never leave you?" Ed asked.

"Yeah, I do…." Winry answered looking away. "You didn't keep it…."

"I know… and I'm sorry Winry." He said pulling her chin so that she would look him in the eyes. "Winry, I love you so much."

Winry stalled. These were the words she wanted to hear so badly form him. And he meant every word of it. She looked into his eyes and muttered, "Edward… I love you too."

Suddenly, he bent down and placed his lips gently on hers. She pressed her lips against his as she kisses him back. She felt as if the heavens had fallen on them and they would stay like that for an eternity. But like all good thing, it came to an end. Winry felt herself falling into a deep sleep and fell away from Edward. She leaned her head against his chest and fell asleep in his arms.


	4. Brothers

I love this song, it is one of my favorite songs. The song is called Brat'ja and is played in English, Japanese, and (mostly heard) Russian. In English it is heard by the voice actor of Edward Elric, Vic Mignogna, and in Japanese it is played by Romi Paku. I have the Englosh version here and how it depicts the story line of Fullmetal Alchemist.

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or the song Brat'ja

_

* * *

(Ed's verse)  
How can I repay you brother mine?  
How can I expect you to forgive?  
Clinging to the past I shed our blood,  
and shattered your chance to live._

_Though I knew the laws I paid no heed.  
How can I return your wasted breath?  
What I did not know has cost you dear,  
for there is no cure for death._

Edward and Alphonse only wanted to see their mother's face one last time. Even for a split moment. When they attempted Human Transmutation it ended terribly. Edward lost his leg. When he looked around, there was no sign of Alphonse.

"Al? Al? Where are you?" When there was no answer, Ed didn't know what to do. He thought he had lost the only one he loved most. He knew it was his fault.

_(Ed's chorus)  
Beautiful mother, soft and sweet.  
Once you were gone we were not complete.  
Back through the years we reached for you.  
Alas, twas not ment to be.  
And how can I make amends,  
for all that I took from you?  
I lead you with hopeless dreams.  
My brother I was a fool._

Edward crashed the only full suit of armor to the floor. He removed the helmet and looked inside. It was perfect to house a soul. Edward drew a circle he had just made up out of the blue. It was drawn from of his own blood. He drew the circle on his legs, on his chest, and on his forehead.

"I'll give you my leg, arms, or heart. So give him back... He's the only little brother I have!" Edward cried into the darkness. Then he activated the transmutation circle. He only hoped it would work. He only hoped Al would forgive him and not rub it in his face when he awoke to find the Transmutation backfired. Edward now realized how foolish he had been._  
_  
_(Al's verse)  
Don't cry for the past now brother mine,  
Neither you nor I are free from blame.  
Nothing can erase the things we did,  
For the path we took was the same._

No matter how many times Alphonse said he forgave Edward for what happened, he knew his brother didn't believe him. He had made the decision to do the transmutation as well, so he was as much to blame as Ed. Alphonse only lost more then Ed….

_(Al's chorus)  
Beautiful mother, soft and sweet  
Once you were gone we were not complete.  
Back through the years we reached for you.  
Alas, twas not ment to be.  
My dreams made me blind and mute,  
I longed to return to that time,  
I followed without a word.  
My brother the fault is mine._

Al knew he could have stopped the Transmutation when he had the chance. He knew that if he spoke his mind and told Edward he thought it was a bad idea, Edward may have rethought his actions. But Al was silent. He never spoke what he thought should have been done. And he kept those words hidden from Ed because he knew it would upset his older brother._  
_  
_(Both)  
So where do we go from here?  
And how to forget and forgive?  
What's gone is forever lost.  
Now all we can do is live._

Ed and Al were now fifteen and fourteen and they were looking for a way to restore their bodies. They only hoped that they would find a way….


	5. Brother of Dispair

**This is one of my older stories. It's not as good as the first chapter, I think. But, it got eleven reveiews so I still think it's worthy enough to be reposted.**

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, Himaru Arakawa does.

* * *

Winry was in her workshop making Edward a new automail arm, in case he needed it. She would never know when he would pop over by her house for a repair or new arm and/or leg so she decided she always had to be ready. 

Pinako, Winry's grandmother, was out in the town running some errands, so Winry was alone in the house. Well, besides Den anyway, but he was asleep.

As Winry worked on the automail, she was thinking about when Ed and Al would come home. She felt lonely nowadays. Gram was company, but she missed too many friends. Neely went to the city to visit a sick aunt, Amy was always out of town, and most of her other friends were to busy with work to talk. After all, they said, being seventeen and not having a job was a pretty sad thing and Winry had a job since she was ten! But, the people she missed the most were Ed and Al.

It was surprising that she heard a knock at the door because of the sound of smelting metal. She lifted her head from her work, turned off the smelter, and lifted her mask. She heard the knock again and ran down the stairs to get it.

She opened the door to come face-to-face with a smiling Edward Elric. Though, despite his smiling face, he had dark, black circles under his eyes. He was carrying a suitcase in his left hand while his red jacket was draped over his right forearm. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Speak of the devil.

"Hey, Winry."

"Hello Ed, come in!"

She opened the door wider to let Ed through when she noticed the girl standing next to Ed. She was holding a baby in her arms, but she looked no older then Winry herself! Ed and the girl both walked through the door and Ed introduced the girl.

"Winry, this is Roze Thomas. I met her in Liore quite some time ago. I hope you don't mind that she hangs out for a while."

"Of, course not! We always have room for extra guests!"

Winry then looked out the door and noticed something odd.

"Where's Al?" Ed and this 'Roze' girl looked solemn and when Roze tried to speak, Ed put his hand out to stop her.

"We'll tell her later."

All three of them were silent for a moment. Then Winry said quietly, "Roze, I'll show you to your room."

She walked up the stairs with Roze right behind her.

"What's his name?" Winry asked referring to the baby.

"Noah."

Winry smiled, "A beautiful name for a beautiful child."

Roze smiled as well, "Thank you!"

They stopped in front of a door. "Here it is. I hope its cozy enough for you. If you need a cradle, I think there's one in the attic."

"Thank you. This really means a lot to me." Roze said, gratefully.

"It's no problem, really."

Then Winry heard a call for her downstairs. "Winry, where's Auntie Pinako?" Ed shouted. Winry walked to the edge of the steps and shouted back, "She's in town, running some errands!"

Then he was silent.

"He seems- different- somehow." Winry said to herself.

"It's because of what happened." said a voice.

"What happened?"

"It's not my place to tell you…"

Roze said as she walked down the stairs. The baby disappeared from her arms so Winry suspected that Roze put the baby in the bedroom to sleep.

* * *

"Thank you for your hospitality Mrs. Rockbell. It means so much to me."

"It's no problem, dear. You stay for as long as you need to." Pinako insisted as she and Winry put food away.

"Ed, while you're here, I think you should have a tune-up."

"I don't need a tune-up Winry! I'm fine!"

"But, you don't know that! You could have grown a few inches and it's not good to have automail that's shorter then you are!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're automail should be your height."

"I don't need you to check any automail!"

"Then why did you come here?" she asked, looking at him worriedly.

"Because… I had nowhere else to go." He said, not making eye contact with her.

"What do you mean by that, Edward?" Pinako asked him.

He ignored the question and said, "I'm going to make a phone call." And he left the room.

When Winry and Pinako finished putting the groceries away, Roze asked Winry if she wanted to take a walk with her.

"Sure."

As they walked down the path by the river, Roze talked about how she met Ed and Al and what happened after they left Liore.

"I'm sorry that happened to you. I'm sure Ed and Al didn't mean to-" she couldn't finish. She felt terrible for what happened to Roze.

"It's not your fault, and it's not Ed and Al's fault either. It was no one's fault," Roze said softly.

Winry didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything at all.

"Winry, I wish to talk to you about Ed and Al." Roze said.

"Roze, please tell me what happened to Ed and Al. Where's Al? Why didn't he come home?"

Roze didn't say anything for a while. Then she spoke, "Like I told you before, it's not my place to tell you. Ed will tell you what happened when he's ready to."

Winry had the look of disappointment on her face. Why didn't anyone tell her anything anymore?

Roze looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful, clear day.

"Ed might not be the same person you used to know."

"What do you mean?"

"Because of what happened, Ed has internal scars that will last forever. He isn't the same person I met. He said he wouldn't do alchemy anymore. He says he doesn't want to meddle into the science anymore. He says it's useless…. I don't know…. But what I do know is that Ed had a lot of tragedy in his life. Al too…. I just wonder why things have to end up the way they do…." Roze seemed to wonder aloud.

The two girls sat there in silence. Winry was wondering what the heck was going on? Was everyone expecting her to figure out was happened? She knew Ed too well. He would be to stubborn to tell her what happened.

"Maybe we should go back." Roze suggested. They both walked back almost in silence. They couldn't think of what to say to each other.

* * *

"Gram, we're back!" Winry called as the girls walked back into the house.

"Come into the living room dears, we have guests."

Winry and Roze walked into the living room to welcome them. Winry was surprised to find Izumi and her husband, Sig.

"Hello, Izumi-san! What are you doing here?" Winry asked politely.

"Hello Winry. We just came by to see if you and your grandmother could make some automail. Could you please?"

"Sure, for whom?"

Izumi was silent for a moment, thinking about how she should put this. She decided to come straight out with it, "The boy, Wrath."

Roze stood there, remembering what happened to him.

"Umm… okay." Winry said, a little uneasily. How did he loose a limb? "I'll get right on it first thing in the morning." Winry agreed. "Where is he?"

"In a spare room, sleeping."

At that moment, Edward walked into the room holding Roze's child.

"He woke up when I went to check on him." Ed explained as he handed the baby over to Roze.

"Thank you Ed."

* * *

Winry was in her bedroom, lying on her bed wearing a baggy T-shirt and silk pants. She was going over the many events that happened that day and how it seemed everyone was hiding something from her. She thought her grandmother might feel the same way.

Winry heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." She called, sitting up.

Edward walked into the room. As he walked over to the bed, he took something out of his pocket. Once he was standing next to the bed, Ed grabbed one of Winry's hands and put something in it. Winry felt cold, round metal and a chain in her hand. She knew what it was before Ed withdrew his hand from on top of hers.

"Here, you wanted to see it and now you can have it." He said, curtly.

Winry looked at the object in her hand. It was the silver military pocket watch.

"Ed, don't you need it?"

He shook his head. "No. I quit the military. Anyway, you can take out the Red Stones that are in there."

"Don't you need to be in the military to look for the Philosopher's Stone?" Winry asked as she moved so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed. She knew about the Red Stones inside the watch. Ed told her someone put them into the watch.

Ed shook his head, yet again. "I'm not searching for something that doesn't exist."

"Don't you and Al need to get your bodies back to normal?"

He was silent for a few seconds.

"Just take the damn watch." He said as he moved for the door. Winry put the watch down on the nightstand and stood up.

"Ed, are you sure you don't want me to check your automail?"

"I'm fine Winry!"

Winry grabbed Ed's long sleeve on his right side.

"Winry, let go of me." Ed said calmly, yet he had a scowl on his face.

"No."

"Why are you so obsessed with checking my automail!" Ed yelled.

"You never gave me this problem before! Why won't you let me check it?" Winry screamed back.

Ed tried to get out of Winry's grip. He gave a hard tug and there was a ripping noise. Ed had a terrified expression on his face. Winry looked at his sleeve. There was a slight tear above the elbow. Winry caught a glimpse of something flesh colored. Ed put his left hand over the rip before Winry could get a decent look.

"E-Ed… y-your arm…?" Winry said shakily. Did he really get his arm back? Ed ran out of the room before Winry could question him.

* * *

Winry told her grandmother what happened the next morning. She told her that she thought Edward might have his limbs back and that she wanted to see for herself while Ed was still sleeping. After all, it was still very early in the morning.

"Be careful Winry, he's a light sleeper if not that; then he doesn't sleep at all."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, yesterday I noticed that between the glove and sleeve on his right arm, there was flesh and last night I went to see for myself. As soon as the door opened, he sat straight up in his bed."

Winry managed to open the creaking door without waking Ed up. She walked silently over to his bed and knelt down next to it. Edward fell asleep with his clothes on, he didn't put the quilt on, and he fell asleep on his right side. Winry thanked God silently. It was easier to check while he was sleeping.

She lightly took Ed's right hand and lifted the sleeve cautiously. It was just as she expected, but still, she let a gasp escape her mouth. There was no gleam of metal, no wires, nothing to indicate there was ever any automail there. It was pure flesh and bone.

Winry, then moved closer to his leg. She patted it down softly. It wasn't hard. It was soft and didn't clank. Yup, it was human alright. Winry looked quickly at Ed's face to see if he woke up and to her horror, Ed's eye's snapped open! Winry froze in her spot.

He sat up and looked at Winry in the same fear that she looked at Ed. Winry quickly got up and made a break for the door.

"Winry, wait!" Ed cried just as her hand reached the door handle. Winry stopped and let go of the handle. "So, now you know now, huh?" Ed asked. Winry nodded.

"I'm sorry I tried to keep it from you and Gram. Well, you would have found out anyway… because of Wrath." Ed explained hanging his head.

"How did it happen?" Winry asked.

Ed didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Winry, I think you have a job to do."

"What do you mean?"

Ed smiled, "Wrath might be awake."

* * *

Winry walked into Wrath's room and surly enough, he was awake. He was staring at the ceiling as if in a daze. His right arm and left leg were gone now. Edward had them. They were his in the first place.

"Good morning" Winry said cheerfully.

Wrath snapped out of his daze and looked at her excitedly.

"Hiya!" he yelled energetically.

Sig had moved the boy into the living room. Wrath was sitting in a chair as Winry was measuring him. It turned out that his arm and leg was completely symmetrical to Ed's.

"When are you gonna be done with my arm and leg?" Wrath asked impatently.

"About four days." Winry answered.

"That long! I can't wait that long!" Wrath cried.

"That's as fast as Gram and I can build you a leg and ports. I've already finished an arm." Winry explained.

Pinako looked at Winry questionably.

"You already have an arm built?" she asked.

Winry nodded and explained that she was building an arm for Edward but hasn't had the chance to build a leg. She also explained that Wrath and Ed had similar limb structure. Pinako agreed to use the limb ready made for Edward and use it for Wrath so now all they had to make was a leg and ports.

* * *

Winry, Pinako, and Izumi, who was carrying Wrath, were in the operating room.

"Thank you so much for doing this"

"It was no trouble at all Izumi-san"

"Now, I'm not going to lie to you. This operation is very painful. You can ask Edward yourself. Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Pinako asked Wrath. He nodded slowly as Izumi carefully put him down on the table.

"Mrs. Curtis, we must ask you to leave the room, for hygienic reasons." Pinako asked, looking to Izumi. Izumi nodded in agreement and took one last loving look at the boy before she left.

Through most of the procedure, Wrath was crying. Winry was attempting to calm him down, but it wasn't working very well. In the living room, Edward, Sig, Roze, and Izumi were conversing until the cries of pain started. That's when everyone went quiet. The only sound was the screams from the operating room.

Izumi looked down at her hands sadly as she listened to the pained cries. She almost felt like crying as well as she started to think about where Alphonse might be at that moment. Edward seemed to notice her pained expression.

"Sensei, please don't be upset. I went through the same ordeal. The pain will go away in a few days." Edward explained, thinking that she was upset about Wrath.

Izumi snapped her head in his direction, glaring at him menacingly.

"Do you really think I'm this upset about the boy?" She asked him angrily. Ed didn't know how to answer her. He was almost positive that's what she was tearing up about. If she wasn't sad because of the boy, then why was she about to cry?

Sig wrapped an arm around Izumi for comfort as she asked her vital question.

"Tell me Edward, did I loose one of my children?"

Ed didn't say anything or even move. He hung his head, almost shamed and answered in one word. "Yes"

At that moment, the cries calmed down and a few minutes later, Winry came out of the hallway smiling.

"The operation was successful. He'll recover from the pain in a few days" She said happily taking off a pair of rubber gloves on her hands. She stopped and looked around and noticed the air of emotion in this room. The smile fell from her face as she asked, "Did I miss something?"

Edward stood up abruptly. "No" was his answer as he walked toward the stairs to his room. Winry had a feeling somewhere deep inside of her that he was lying to her.

Sig and Izumi stood up at that same time.

"Thank you for your help Ms. Rockbell." Sig said.

"Yes, this means a lot to us." Izumi said smiling gratefully.

"Oh, like I said before, it was no trouble at all!" Winry said smiling again. Izumi and Sig then left the room to check on Wrath leaving the two girls alone, Noah was sleeping in Roze's. As soon as the couple left, Winry had a worried look on her face as she looked at the stairs that Edward had just disappeared up to.

"You're worried about him?" Roze asked standing up. Winry nodded and Roze looked at her warmly. "Don't worry. One of these days he has to open up to someone. Most likely it will be you because he's known you for so long."

"Yeah, maybe" Winry said walking toward Roze. "But… he never tells me anything anymore…."

Roze grinned. "Then force it out of him." She growled jokingly causing Winry to chuckle. Then Roze got serious. "Winry, you _should_ talk to him. He has to tell you sometime." Roze looked away "I mean, you would figure it out sooner or later…."

Winry nodded. "You're right…. I'll eventually find out, so why not now?" Winry asked herself sadly. She looked at Roze and she gave Winry a friendly nod as if telling her now was a good time. "Thanks Roze." Winry said before running up the stairs.

As Winry made her way for Edward's door, she heard the squeaking and banging of pipes in the walls which indicated to her that Edward was in the shower. Winry gave a sigh of annoyance and made her way to her own room to change her clothes.

Winry had dressed into her casual clothing, a white sleeveless shirt and a black mini skirt, she went into Edward's bedroom, knowing she'd corner him there. When she heard the clanking of the pipes stop, she readied herself fro his entrance into the room.

Ed entered his room only wearing boxer shorts and a towel around his neck that he was using to dry his dripping hair. He looked in surprise to see a scowling Winry sitting on his bed.

"What's wrong Win?" Ed asked as he closed the door behind him.

"Where's Alphonse?" Winry demanded right away. "I don't want anymore secrets Edward. Now tell me where he is."

Edward's body went rigid. He hung his head again, causing his hair to hide his eyes. "You want to know?" He asked quietly, and yet, sadly. Before he gave Winry a chance to answer he said "Alright, I'll tell you."

He dropped the half of the towel in his hand and sat next to Winry, looking away from her. "Winry, I have no family left…." Edward said his voice cracking.

"What do you mean by that?" Winry asked, confused.

"My mother is dead; my father is on the other side of the Gate. And Al…." Edward couldn't make it out into a sentence. Tears started streaming down his face.

"What about him?" Winry asked gently.

Edward was silent for a moment. He had a look of thought on his face. Then he opened his mouth to talk. "I was fighting Envy. At first, I was winning, and then he showed me what his true face was…. He looked like my dad. Dante told me that she and my dad had a son many years ago. He died and Dad brought him back to life and created Envy. Envy hated my dad so much for leaving him…."

"What! How can that be? Dante's dead! We buried her body!" Winry exclaimed.

"Dante and my father are over four hundred years old Win. They used the Philosopher's Stone to transfer bodies for all these years. Dad said he's going to stay in the body Mom fell in love with." Edward explained with a small smile. The smile faded as he started explaining what happened.

"Anyway, when Envy showed me his face, I froze. I felt my whole body going numb and when I stopped, he killed me." Edward said, still unable to face Winry. Winry didn't know how to react. She felt she knew what was coming next.

"Al brought you back?" Winry guessed.

Edward nodded. "Al used the Philosopher's Stone inside of him to bring me back." Ed said, his voice no more then a pained whisper. Suddenly, Ed lunged himself at Winry, scrunching the fabric of her shirt near her shoulders and burying his face into her chest. The force he made toward her had caused Winry to lay down in the bed. Through her surprise, Winry noticed Edward was sobbing.

"Winry, he's dead! He's gone and he's never coming back!" Edward cried into Winry's shirt.

Winry just laid there on the bed. She put her hand on the back of Edward's head for some comfort. Winry held back tears for Ed's sake. For Al's sake.


	6. Popping the Question

**Okay, this is the last chapter I'm going to put a disclaimer. We all know I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist. I should just get over it.**

Ed looked across the table at his date. He smiled as he held her hand. She smiled back caringly.

"I love you, Edward Elric." She said to him.

"I love you, too." He said to the woman.

At the age of twenty-two, he knew what he was doing. Edward wasn't the confused teenager he once had been. Six years ago, Edward finally saved his brother. Now, Alphonse was seventeen and in a human body. Everything was perfect.

Edward started dating his companion at the age of eighteen. That was when he realized he felt so strongly about her.

In his eyes, she was beautiful and perfect. Even if they got into the occasional fight, they would end up back in each others arms.

Edward reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Now was the time that most people called "popping the question." Ed didn't think of it like that. He thought of it as the next step in their relationship. The closer they got, the more they loved each other.

Ed stood up and fell to a knee in front of this girl.

"Will you marry me, Winry Rockbell?"


End file.
